Cannons versus Pipes

[Barbrey]

Depictions of cannons:

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Those are brilliant!  I particularly like the ones where they’re just throwing the cannonballs at the enemies, no pipes in evidence at all. Made me laugh. 

As for groups, the 1420-1440 Germany miniature’s cannons are at least in a group and - maybe- an inspiration for our group, though I feel that’s reaching. 

At base, symbolically speaking, there’s a good chance the pipes represent the forceful ejection or projection of something. Whether that’s air, smoke, the body (more spiritual interpretation), the 72 names of God in prayer, music, cannonballs or something else is up for grabs.Also, for me, I don’t think the top left rosette pipes have to necessarily represent the same thing as the central rosette pipes. I quite like Monica’s “the body” interpretation for the top left, particularly as those pipes form a group of five, the number for the body. 

Basically, cannons were known to forcefully eject cannonballs, singularly or in groups, in this time period. So they are a good symbol for ejection, and possibly defence, without needing to be depicted realistically.